Judicial Watch: Rosenstein plotted Trump coup

Rod Rosenstein testifies before House Judiciary Committee in December 2017 (Video screenshot)

Newly obtained Justice Department documents confirm top officials, led by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, attempted a coup of President Trump, according to Washington watchdog Judicial Watch.

Judicial Watch obtained 14 pages of records that show how officials orchestrated a response to a Sept. 21, 2018, New York Times report regarding discussions within the FBI and Justice Department about removing the president by invoking the 25th Amendment.

The story say Rosenstein offered to wear a wire to record his conversations with Trump and provide evidence the president should be removed.

The documents show Rosenstein sought to ensure that the media would have "difficulty" finding anyone in the DOJ to comment.

The DOJ officials, according to the documents, engaged in a concerted effort to frame the reporting as "inaccurate" and "factually incorrect."

Significantly, the officials sought to characterize Rosenstein's reported offer of wearing a wire to record Trump as merely "sarcastic."

Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said in a statement that the documents "essentially confirm the coup discussions about wearing a wire when speaking with President Trump and plans to remove him under the 25th Amendment."

"It is remarkable that Judicial Watch has done more to investigate the DOJ/FBI's discussions about overthrowing President Trump than the DOJ or Congress," he said.

Last October, former FBI General Counsel James A. Baker provided testimony to congressional investigators that conflicted with Rosenstein's claim that he made the wire offer in jest.

Baker said in a closed-door deposition that then-FBI Acting Director Andrew McCabe and FBI lawyer Lisa Page disclosed to him details of the meeting, recounting that the 25th Amendment was invoked and Rosenstein offered to wear a wire to record Trump.

Baker said he took McCabe's and Page's account "seriously," according to sources with knowledge of the depotions.

Further, a source told FoxNews.com, Baker testified he suspected “Rosenstein was coordinating with two people in the administration to invoke the 25th Amendment."

McCabe, in a February interview with "60 Minutes," also confirmed the 25th Amendment discussion and said Rosenstein's offer to wear a wire was serious.

Judicial Watch obtained the records through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed after the Justice Department failed to respond to three separate FOIA requests.

Among the records is a Sept. 21, 2018, email from Assistant U.S. Attorney Harvey Eisenberg to Rosenstein informing the the deputy attorney general that Washington Post reporter Ellen Nakashima had called inquiring about the New York Times report on the 25th Amendment discussion.

Rosenstein responds: "Thanks! Hopefully we are being successful, and the reporters are having difficulty finding anybody to comment about things."

Rosenstein, who resigned in April, ultimately issued a statement.

"The New York Times's story is inaccurate and factually incorrect. I will not further comment on a story based on anonymous sources who are obviously biased against the Department and are advancing their own personal agenda. But let me be clear about this: Based on my personal dealings with the President, there is no basis to invoke the 25th Amendment."